This entry is not eligible to win, but the prompt was far too good for me to ignore 
Thanks for running this, M3D and Xiivi!
Birds of Prey
Name: Derek Cartwright
Spooks Codename: Eagle Eye
Powers: Enhanced Senses. Other applications of power include mastery of sleight of hand and sharpshooting.
Known Equipment: Sunglasses, headphones. Sometimes wields a sniper rifle.
Appearance: 21-year-old male of moderate height, approximately 5’9. Light hair worn with a buzzcut. Almost always seen with aviator sunglasses and a pair of 1980s-style headphones. Also prefers to wear gloves.
Background: Derek Cartwright and his brother, Aiden, were originally found running cons in Atlantic City. Derek took advantage of his heightened senses to place bets, while Aiden showed an ability to read bluffs. (See: Personnel File 382, Cartwright, Aiden.) No known living family members, Derek has been Aiden’s legal guardian since 1997, when a car accident killed both parents. Dispelled from the Spooks Program when the growth of his powers plateaued. At the time of expulsion, his senses were only slightly stronger than someone armed with binoculars and a hearing aid. Note from General Maddox: Lacks potential. Resources and training best spent elsewhere.
“That’s a nice read. The ending’s kind of predictable, though.”
Derek Cartwright dropped the manila dossier back on the table, freeing up his cuffed hands to rub his blackened eye. Only the steel table separated the Derek from the black-suited man on the other side, but it seemed as wide as an open canyon. The man still had his earpiece in, with it’s coils snaking down to his shirt pocket. An earpiece, Derek thought. Did he even read the descriptions of their powers? The old bird was right about Jones. He never thought through the details.
“We got you, didn’t we?” Jones said, his voice still filled with confidence gained from years of authority.
Derek shrugged. “I suppose you did.”
“You almost sound like a man who thinks he can escape.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Derek said. “What am I going to do, fly out of here?”
The only light in the room sprayed down from the flourescent bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling. Derek could feel it strobing against his skin, then bouncing off the steel table and up against the one-way mirror behind him. For Jones, the one-way was facing the wrong way. He relied on seeing through mirrors, after all.
“It’s for you,” Derek said, right before the door opened.
“You asked for me, sir?”
Jones never looked up at the fresh-faced, but very forgettable Gman. Instead, he reached forward and unlocked Derek’s handcuffs while his earpiece pulsated softly. “Yes, Coffee. Our guest prefers it as bland as possible. Private...?”
“Olsen, sir.”
Jones was already back to ignoring the young man before his answer.
“I’m not going to bull**** around, Cartwright. Tell me where Riley is, and we’ll conveniently forget you exist.”
“Aw, and here I thought you were going to be the good cop?”
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. We’ll forget your brother exists, as well.”
Derek laughed as he listened to the sweat drop down the inside of Jones’ shirt. “You’ve had your best empaths working on figuring out what the Old Bird’s up to for months. You’re the god **** Spooks, and you need me? What happened to lacking potential?”
“Mr. Riley is a threat to national security. If--”
“The Old Bird is no threat. He’s a hero. We almost caught the Gray today.”
Jones looked disappointed. “So you’ve already bought into his bull****.”
“Well, You caught me.” Derek laughed, then drilled his finger down onto the next folder. “She bought into it, too.”
Name: Susie Lashford
Spooks Codename: Raptor
Powers: Prehensile Hair
Known Equipment: If captured, immediately remove all hair accessories, including, but not limited to, barrettes, pins, chopsticks, combs, and scrunchies.
Appearance: Dark-haired Caucasian woman, 5’4. Her hair can be of varying lengths at any given time.
Background: Susie Lashford joined the Spooks as one of the earliest recruits, and was easily one of the most successful. She was a member of Team Zeta with Riley [Censored]. Before joining the program, Lashford was an exotic dancer and callgirl in Chicago. History before then is unknown. Upon returning from the Prague Incident with Riley, Susie became withdrawn. Her usual intensity in learning dance, swordplay and covert operations lessened to the point of nonexistence. Without cutting-edge training, the drawbacks to her power became clear, and she was released from the program. Note from General Maddox: hair is hair. Maybe if we could plate it in titanium.
“She was the frontwoman, the one surfing the crowd near the Gray’s target. We knew the Gray would be at Union Square, but of course we didn’t know what he would look like.”
“Of course. How convenient, a super assassin nobody can describe.” Derek didn’t need his talents to hear the sarcasm in Jones’ voice.
“Whatever. He’s real. And we know how to find him. That’s why we planned the Union Square job. The plan was to tag the Gray with infrared reflective paint, so my brother could spot him easily in the crowd. Then you *******s got involved and ruined everything. Thank god Aiden escaped before he saw me get cuffed.”
“And where was the old bird during all of this?”
“Hey hey hey, wait your turn. Circling overhead. But I’m getting to that. Lashes is the best at defending a target in a large crowd. She can twist that hair to pick pockets, disarm thugs, and make a getaway. Lucky for us, chopsticks are in style - you don’t want to see how scary accurate she is with those things.”
“Sounds like you have a thing for her.”
“No. I respect talent. Besides, I heard your mom was single.”
Jones grinned. He knew exactly how to retaliate. “Talent, maybe. But there is no practical application for Ms. Lashford’s power. Just like with your brother.”
“Practical application. Y’all love those words. ‘No practical application.’ Is that what you told Nicks, when you booted him for not doing your precious bidding?”
Name: Jericho Nicks
Spooks Codename: Falcon
Powers: Diamond Skin
Appearance: Stout, tall, 46-year-old male with completely unblemished skin - no freckles, no scars, no tattoos.
Background: Washed out of the Spooks because of his inability to cope with alcoholism - but not for the expected reasons. One night, while drunk in Lansing, MI, Nicks triggered his diamond skin and smashed a guy’s face, killing him instantly. After the incident, Nicks suddenly refused to fight. He spiraled further into drinking, and no amount of coaxing from the Spooks Psychological Analysis Division could remove his new-found pacifist tendancies. To this day he refuses to strike anyone. He will never strike the first blow. Note from General Maddox: Approach with caution. Do not poke.
“The Old Bird, he took us in. Trained us. When I washed out of the Spooks, when y’all told me I lacked potential, I had nothing but a little brother and a blank credit history.”
“Your powers are all easily replicable with technology, Cartwright. It was nothing personal.”
“Were. They were replicable. But guess what? I got better. You have the old bird to thank for that. And my brother? He’s going to be even stronger. When we were Spooks, you saw us as the worst super assassins money could buy. He made us something. Gave Aiden a chance to be something.”
“If you consider chasing a ghost ‘being something.’”
“Oh, he’s real. The Gray Man is real. I’ve seen him, and before you ask, no I can’t describe him. Have you ever heard of face blindness? It’s where a person can’t recognize anyone. Might as well be telling a bunch of rocks apart. This guy? He can cause that in other people. You can be staring right at him for 20 minutes, and when you try to remember him, it’s like describing a hunk of granite.”
“Don’t believe everything Riley’s told you, kid. He’s still a Spook, whether he admits it or not.”
“Yep, the Old Bird’s probably the best killer you ever put out there. What was his count? Did he break 200? Whatever. The Gray is better. He’s a master at picking apart a social structure. He can assume the role of any servant, store clerk or janitor. You’ll never know he’s there, and then you’re dead. Nobody has a chance to recognize him - except for Aidan.”
Name: Aidan Cartwright
Spooks Codename: Night Owl
Powers: Infrared Vision
Known Equipment: Various explosives, including homemade grenades.
Appearance: 13-year-old boy with narrow features, ear-length blond hair and blue eyes.
Background: Younger brother of Derek Cartwright (See: Personnel File #380.) Incredible potential. He can determine the structural integrity of a wall, examine circuitry, and find hidden passages. Like his older brother, he can tell if a person is sweating or nervous. With each passing day, his ability to determine different temperatures grows. Just as you can see millions of shades of color, he can tell the difference between an entire gradient of temperature. Also began showing aptitude for building explosives. Older brother is only known family, and he expresses undying loyalty to him. So much so, that it is to the detriment of the Spooks program. Upon Derek Cartwright’s discharge from the program, he stole Aidan from federal custody and escaped. Both are currently at large. Note from General Maddox: “Get him back, whatever it takes. Kill the brother if you have to, but not before you find the kid.”
Only Derek’s ears could pick up the faint sound muffled by a dozen walls. To anyone else, it would have been attributed to a chair scratching the floor. Derek knew that to the men outside, it was a devastating screech.
Jones’ earpiece began buzzing again. Derek grinned. “They’re here.”
Jones held up a finger to Derek, as though that would keep him from interrupting the very important information coming in.
“They probably just told you that the snipers were taken out. That would be the old bird, laying the groundwork like always. Don’t worry, they aren’t dead. Probably unconscious after getting dropped from 20 feet.”
Jones tried to grin, but the stains at his pits betrayed him. “Don’t get cocky. We’ve got at least 30 armed men between you and your friends.”
A cascade of popping sounds, then silence.
“29,” Derek said. “Have you ever seen Lashes in combat, Jones? It’s a beautiful thing. She knows a hundred different ways to kill you. And the best part? The old bird doesn’t let her. This suits Nicks just fine, the big softie. But when you’re a sleek killing machine like Lashes? Well, she makes sure you know your place. That’s if you even see her coming before a hairpin dipped in sleeping agent is embedded in your carotid.”
An explosion in the distance.
“That would be my little brother’s doing. And judging by the sound of it, you have approximately 16 men left. Don’t worry, Aiden’s safe. Nicks is as good a shield as any once he’s got that skin going. The only dangerous thing about him is when the bullets start bouncing off every which way. Oh, and 12.”
A second screech ricocheted through the walls, this time causing Derek to wince.
“The old bird, he’s the truly beautiful one. To see him fight... it’s inspiring. Inspiring in a way y’all never were. Try and stop us all you want - we’re taking out the best assassins in the world. Assassins that you created the Spooks Program to train, Senator Jones.
“You want to forget about us? Thanks, I guess. What you should really be hoping is that the Spooks forget about you. All those superpowered jackwads who ‘had potential?’ The Gray turned them months ago. General Maddox was their last target. And the Gray got him.”
Another explosion, much closer. Little brother was on his way.
“You know why I was caught, Senator Jones? You know why I fell into your trap?”
When Jones had nothing to say beyond a useless smacking of his lips, Derek’s ears picked up a single, soft sound - that of the door in the next room opening, and closing. Of footsteps. Then, of the gun’s safety clicking off.
“Because you’re the Gray’s next target.”
With speed that would have made the Old Bird proud, Derek leaped across the table and slammed into Jones. The Senator’s lack of firearm training revealed itself - he didn’t even get off a gunshot as Derek tackled him to the ground, grappling his arms back and flipping over the steel table all in one ungraceful twist.
The one-way mirror shattered into a million deadly shards as bullets pounded into the table. During the tumbling flip Derek caught the briefest glimpse of the face behind the gun. The completely forgettable face, belonging to a young man with the name tag “Olsen.”
Derek grabbed Jones’ fallen gun, but knew before he rolled to the side to fire that the Gray was gone. The room was empty, and all sounds suddenly absent.
Name: Riley [Censored]
Spooks Codename: Old Bird
Powers: Avian Mimicry
Appearance: When wearing his overcoat and disguising clothes, Riley appears to be a normal, of gaunt, elderly male, though his elongated nose is his most noticeable feature. Without the overcoat, his birdlike features are obvious. His fingers are actually long talons, and long plumed wings extend from his arms.
Background: Riley is a cofounder of the Spooks Program, along with General Maddox and sponsored by Senator Alvin Jones. The goal of the program, according to Riley, was to acquire and train the best supernormal talent the United States has to offer. The Spooks Psychological Analysis Division posits that, due to his tortured life at the hands of those frightened by his birdlike appearance, Riley reacted unconstructively when General Maddox realigned the organization with the Central Intelligence Agency. Riley continued to execute his assignments, in particular with his trainee Susie Lashford (see attached.) However, after the Prague incident, became increasingly agitated at management. Went MIA after being implicated in the unauthorized assassination of Senator Mercer, which he claims was conducted by “The Gray Man,” also referred to as “The Gray.” Note from General Maddox: “Ignore him. This bird’s a quack.”
Moments passed before the doorknob rattled. “It must have locked automatically from the inside,” Derek heard her say, “I’ll take care of it.” Long, dark waves of hair reached up from underneath the door crack. They slipped and swayed up the frame as though feeling out the wood’s surface.
The doorknob turned; the door opened. Susie Lashford drew her hair back and shot Derek a wink. Aiden tried to charge into the room, but Nicks’ thick arm stopped him. “Careful,” he rumbled.
“Hey, did y’all find my headphones?”
And then it was quiet, even to Derek, as the Old Bird stepped in. His cloak dragged across the floor, yet still didn’t quite cover the feathers peaking from beneath. His cowl cast shadows across his aquiline features, and made his dark eyes appear even more piercing.
“His name,” Jones sputtered from the floor, “I can give you the Gray’s name.”
“I know, Senator.” the Old Bird said. “How long was he a Spook?”
Thanks for running this, M3D and Xiivi!Birds of Prey
Name: Derek Cartwright
Spooks Codename: Eagle Eye
Powers: Enhanced Senses. Other applications of power include mastery of sleight of hand and sharpshooting.
Known Equipment: Sunglasses, headphones. Sometimes wields a sniper rifle.
Appearance: 21-year-old male of moderate height, approximately 5’9. Light hair worn with a buzzcut. Almost always seen with aviator sunglasses and a pair of 1980s-style headphones. Also prefers to wear gloves.
Background: Derek Cartwright and his brother, Aiden, were originally found running cons in Atlantic City. Derek took advantage of his heightened senses to place bets, while Aiden showed an ability to read bluffs. (See: Personnel File 382, Cartwright, Aiden.) No known living family members, Derek has been Aiden’s legal guardian since 1997, when a car accident killed both parents. Dispelled from the Spooks Program when the growth of his powers plateaued. At the time of expulsion, his senses were only slightly stronger than someone armed with binoculars and a hearing aid. Note from General Maddox: Lacks potential. Resources and training best spent elsewhere.
“That’s a nice read. The ending’s kind of predictable, though.”
Derek Cartwright dropped the manila dossier back on the table, freeing up his cuffed hands to rub his blackened eye. Only the steel table separated the Derek from the black-suited man on the other side, but it seemed as wide as an open canyon. The man still had his earpiece in, with it’s coils snaking down to his shirt pocket. An earpiece, Derek thought. Did he even read the descriptions of their powers? The old bird was right about Jones. He never thought through the details.
“We got you, didn’t we?” Jones said, his voice still filled with confidence gained from years of authority.
Derek shrugged. “I suppose you did.”
“You almost sound like a man who thinks he can escape.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Derek said. “What am I going to do, fly out of here?”
The only light in the room sprayed down from the flourescent bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling. Derek could feel it strobing against his skin, then bouncing off the steel table and up against the one-way mirror behind him. For Jones, the one-way was facing the wrong way. He relied on seeing through mirrors, after all.
“It’s for you,” Derek said, right before the door opened.
“You asked for me, sir?”
Jones never looked up at the fresh-faced, but very forgettable Gman. Instead, he reached forward and unlocked Derek’s handcuffs while his earpiece pulsated softly. “Yes, Coffee. Our guest prefers it as bland as possible. Private...?”
“Olsen, sir.”
Jones was already back to ignoring the young man before his answer.
“I’m not going to bull**** around, Cartwright. Tell me where Riley is, and we’ll conveniently forget you exist.”
“Aw, and here I thought you were going to be the good cop?”
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. We’ll forget your brother exists, as well.”
Derek laughed as he listened to the sweat drop down the inside of Jones’ shirt. “You’ve had your best empaths working on figuring out what the Old Bird’s up to for months. You’re the god **** Spooks, and you need me? What happened to lacking potential?”
“Mr. Riley is a threat to national security. If--”
“The Old Bird is no threat. He’s a hero. We almost caught the Gray today.”
Jones looked disappointed. “So you’ve already bought into his bull****.”
“Well, You caught me.” Derek laughed, then drilled his finger down onto the next folder. “She bought into it, too.”
Name: Susie Lashford
Spooks Codename: Raptor
Powers: Prehensile Hair
Known Equipment: If captured, immediately remove all hair accessories, including, but not limited to, barrettes, pins, chopsticks, combs, and scrunchies.
Appearance: Dark-haired Caucasian woman, 5’4. Her hair can be of varying lengths at any given time.
Background: Susie Lashford joined the Spooks as one of the earliest recruits, and was easily one of the most successful. She was a member of Team Zeta with Riley [Censored]. Before joining the program, Lashford was an exotic dancer and callgirl in Chicago. History before then is unknown. Upon returning from the Prague Incident with Riley, Susie became withdrawn. Her usual intensity in learning dance, swordplay and covert operations lessened to the point of nonexistence. Without cutting-edge training, the drawbacks to her power became clear, and she was released from the program. Note from General Maddox: hair is hair. Maybe if we could plate it in titanium.
“She was the frontwoman, the one surfing the crowd near the Gray’s target. We knew the Gray would be at Union Square, but of course we didn’t know what he would look like.”
“Of course. How convenient, a super assassin nobody can describe.” Derek didn’t need his talents to hear the sarcasm in Jones’ voice.
“Whatever. He’s real. And we know how to find him. That’s why we planned the Union Square job. The plan was to tag the Gray with infrared reflective paint, so my brother could spot him easily in the crowd. Then you *******s got involved and ruined everything. Thank god Aiden escaped before he saw me get cuffed.”
“And where was the old bird during all of this?”
“Hey hey hey, wait your turn. Circling overhead. But I’m getting to that. Lashes is the best at defending a target in a large crowd. She can twist that hair to pick pockets, disarm thugs, and make a getaway. Lucky for us, chopsticks are in style - you don’t want to see how scary accurate she is with those things.”
“Sounds like you have a thing for her.”
“No. I respect talent. Besides, I heard your mom was single.”
Jones grinned. He knew exactly how to retaliate. “Talent, maybe. But there is no practical application for Ms. Lashford’s power. Just like with your brother.”
“Practical application. Y’all love those words. ‘No practical application.’ Is that what you told Nicks, when you booted him for not doing your precious bidding?”
Name: Jericho Nicks
Spooks Codename: Falcon
Powers: Diamond Skin
Appearance: Stout, tall, 46-year-old male with completely unblemished skin - no freckles, no scars, no tattoos.
Background: Washed out of the Spooks because of his inability to cope with alcoholism - but not for the expected reasons. One night, while drunk in Lansing, MI, Nicks triggered his diamond skin and smashed a guy’s face, killing him instantly. After the incident, Nicks suddenly refused to fight. He spiraled further into drinking, and no amount of coaxing from the Spooks Psychological Analysis Division could remove his new-found pacifist tendancies. To this day he refuses to strike anyone. He will never strike the first blow. Note from General Maddox: Approach with caution. Do not poke.
“The Old Bird, he took us in. Trained us. When I washed out of the Spooks, when y’all told me I lacked potential, I had nothing but a little brother and a blank credit history.”
“Your powers are all easily replicable with technology, Cartwright. It was nothing personal.”
“Were. They were replicable. But guess what? I got better. You have the old bird to thank for that. And my brother? He’s going to be even stronger. When we were Spooks, you saw us as the worst super assassins money could buy. He made us something. Gave Aiden a chance to be something.”
“If you consider chasing a ghost ‘being something.’”
“Oh, he’s real. The Gray Man is real. I’ve seen him, and before you ask, no I can’t describe him. Have you ever heard of face blindness? It’s where a person can’t recognize anyone. Might as well be telling a bunch of rocks apart. This guy? He can cause that in other people. You can be staring right at him for 20 minutes, and when you try to remember him, it’s like describing a hunk of granite.”
“Don’t believe everything Riley’s told you, kid. He’s still a Spook, whether he admits it or not.”
“Yep, the Old Bird’s probably the best killer you ever put out there. What was his count? Did he break 200? Whatever. The Gray is better. He’s a master at picking apart a social structure. He can assume the role of any servant, store clerk or janitor. You’ll never know he’s there, and then you’re dead. Nobody has a chance to recognize him - except for Aidan.”
Name: Aidan Cartwright
Spooks Codename: Night Owl
Powers: Infrared Vision
Known Equipment: Various explosives, including homemade grenades.
Appearance: 13-year-old boy with narrow features, ear-length blond hair and blue eyes.
Background: Younger brother of Derek Cartwright (See: Personnel File #380.) Incredible potential. He can determine the structural integrity of a wall, examine circuitry, and find hidden passages. Like his older brother, he can tell if a person is sweating or nervous. With each passing day, his ability to determine different temperatures grows. Just as you can see millions of shades of color, he can tell the difference between an entire gradient of temperature. Also began showing aptitude for building explosives. Older brother is only known family, and he expresses undying loyalty to him. So much so, that it is to the detriment of the Spooks program. Upon Derek Cartwright’s discharge from the program, he stole Aidan from federal custody and escaped. Both are currently at large. Note from General Maddox: “Get him back, whatever it takes. Kill the brother if you have to, but not before you find the kid.”
Only Derek’s ears could pick up the faint sound muffled by a dozen walls. To anyone else, it would have been attributed to a chair scratching the floor. Derek knew that to the men outside, it was a devastating screech.
Jones’ earpiece began buzzing again. Derek grinned. “They’re here.”
Jones held up a finger to Derek, as though that would keep him from interrupting the very important information coming in.
“They probably just told you that the snipers were taken out. That would be the old bird, laying the groundwork like always. Don’t worry, they aren’t dead. Probably unconscious after getting dropped from 20 feet.”
Jones tried to grin, but the stains at his pits betrayed him. “Don’t get cocky. We’ve got at least 30 armed men between you and your friends.”
A cascade of popping sounds, then silence.
“29,” Derek said. “Have you ever seen Lashes in combat, Jones? It’s a beautiful thing. She knows a hundred different ways to kill you. And the best part? The old bird doesn’t let her. This suits Nicks just fine, the big softie. But when you’re a sleek killing machine like Lashes? Well, she makes sure you know your place. That’s if you even see her coming before a hairpin dipped in sleeping agent is embedded in your carotid.”
An explosion in the distance.
“That would be my little brother’s doing. And judging by the sound of it, you have approximately 16 men left. Don’t worry, Aiden’s safe. Nicks is as good a shield as any once he’s got that skin going. The only dangerous thing about him is when the bullets start bouncing off every which way. Oh, and 12.”
A second screech ricocheted through the walls, this time causing Derek to wince.
“The old bird, he’s the truly beautiful one. To see him fight... it’s inspiring. Inspiring in a way y’all never were. Try and stop us all you want - we’re taking out the best assassins in the world. Assassins that you created the Spooks Program to train, Senator Jones.
“You want to forget about us? Thanks, I guess. What you should really be hoping is that the Spooks forget about you. All those superpowered jackwads who ‘had potential?’ The Gray turned them months ago. General Maddox was their last target. And the Gray got him.”
Another explosion, much closer. Little brother was on his way.
“You know why I was caught, Senator Jones? You know why I fell into your trap?”
When Jones had nothing to say beyond a useless smacking of his lips, Derek’s ears picked up a single, soft sound - that of the door in the next room opening, and closing. Of footsteps. Then, of the gun’s safety clicking off.
“Because you’re the Gray’s next target.”
With speed that would have made the Old Bird proud, Derek leaped across the table and slammed into Jones. The Senator’s lack of firearm training revealed itself - he didn’t even get off a gunshot as Derek tackled him to the ground, grappling his arms back and flipping over the steel table all in one ungraceful twist.
The one-way mirror shattered into a million deadly shards as bullets pounded into the table. During the tumbling flip Derek caught the briefest glimpse of the face behind the gun. The completely forgettable face, belonging to a young man with the name tag “Olsen.”
Derek grabbed Jones’ fallen gun, but knew before he rolled to the side to fire that the Gray was gone. The room was empty, and all sounds suddenly absent.
Name: Riley [Censored]
Spooks Codename: Old Bird
Powers: Avian Mimicry
Appearance: When wearing his overcoat and disguising clothes, Riley appears to be a normal, of gaunt, elderly male, though his elongated nose is his most noticeable feature. Without the overcoat, his birdlike features are obvious. His fingers are actually long talons, and long plumed wings extend from his arms.
Background: Riley is a cofounder of the Spooks Program, along with General Maddox and sponsored by Senator Alvin Jones. The goal of the program, according to Riley, was to acquire and train the best supernormal talent the United States has to offer. The Spooks Psychological Analysis Division posits that, due to his tortured life at the hands of those frightened by his birdlike appearance, Riley reacted unconstructively when General Maddox realigned the organization with the Central Intelligence Agency. Riley continued to execute his assignments, in particular with his trainee Susie Lashford (see attached.) However, after the Prague incident, became increasingly agitated at management. Went MIA after being implicated in the unauthorized assassination of Senator Mercer, which he claims was conducted by “The Gray Man,” also referred to as “The Gray.” Note from General Maddox: “Ignore him. This bird’s a quack.”
Moments passed before the doorknob rattled. “It must have locked automatically from the inside,” Derek heard her say, “I’ll take care of it.” Long, dark waves of hair reached up from underneath the door crack. They slipped and swayed up the frame as though feeling out the wood’s surface.
The doorknob turned; the door opened. Susie Lashford drew her hair back and shot Derek a wink. Aiden tried to charge into the room, but Nicks’ thick arm stopped him. “Careful,” he rumbled.
“Hey, did y’all find my headphones?”
And then it was quiet, even to Derek, as the Old Bird stepped in. His cloak dragged across the floor, yet still didn’t quite cover the feathers peaking from beneath. His cowl cast shadows across his aquiline features, and made his dark eyes appear even more piercing.
“His name,” Jones sputtered from the floor, “I can give you the Gray’s name.”
“I know, Senator.” the Old Bird said. “How long was he a Spook?”
